


Come With Me Baby, Be Mine Tonight

by xLoveMx



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Blow Jobs, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Modern AU, Oral Sex, Pretty Woman AU, Vaginal Sex, Widojest - Freeform, assembly caleb, caleb catches feelings, jester catches feelings too, sex worker jester, the courting of the crick is here too, tusk love makes an apperance, welcome to the punch ludinus in the face squad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:28:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27424951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xLoveMx/pseuds/xLoveMx
Summary: Caleb Widogast, Archmage of Civil Influence of the C.A Corporation, really just wanted to ask for directions, but when Jester Lavorre stumbles into his life, he gets way more than he bargained for.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 38
Kudos: 147





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This Pretty Woman AU has been living rent free in my head for weeks now.  
> So I decided to take it on for NaNo, and it's honestly been such a joy to write. I've already written 3 chapters and I am halfway through the 4th, so I figured I'd post the first one to see if you guys love this as much as I do.
> 
> Here's a little playlist, too, which will be added to as we go along:  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7koMBEupV6SLCGP7NvMhZw
> 
> Enjoy x

_There's danger on the street, it's all around you_   
_But never fear, let hope and fate surround you_   
_Take care of each other, I promise one day_   
_The stars on the sidewalk will show you the way_   
_Don't give up until your dreams have found you_

Caleb Widogast stepped out into the cool night air, pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt absolutely drained, all of his energy having gone into pretending to be friendly with the people he called his colleagues. No one at C.A Corp really trusted each other, let alone cared enough to pretend to like each other, and yet putting up a somewhat civil act during meetings had always been the norm, and it was giving him a headache.

It had already been this way back when he had been a student, and ever since his former teacher, and Archmage of Civil Influence, Trent Ikithon had passed away and requested that Caleb take his place, not much had changed.

He had never really been someone who enjoyed all the meetings and the politics behind the scenes of this large operation, and yet he had been unable to say no when offered the position. Not because Trent had specifically requested him as a successor, but because he had been foolish enough to think that, maybe, he’d be able to change the ways this corporation worked, but these people had been in positions of power in their respective branches for so long that, unless the whole thing was collapsing right under their feet, they would always look out for their own interests first. In fact, Caleb was quite surprised that they had lasted for so long.

The sun had already set and the streets of Zadash were becoming increasingly busier with people whose intent was entertainment, rather than work. He could have easily transported back to Rexxentrum in an instant, but they would be here for at least another week, which would be filled with meetings and long, drawn out conversations, of which half of them were unnecessary, or at least that was what he thought anyway. Vess had given him the address of an Inn at the Tri-Spire, which would be up to his standards, or well, Caleb assumed it was up to her standards anyways. He had never been too interested in the luxuries that most of the C.A. Corp partners were privileged to have, but it came with the job, and arguing about it wouldn’t do him any good, in fact it would probably just waste time he could have spent reading or researching.

Passing a few taverns and Inns as he slowly walked down the street, Caleb glanced around. He had only ever been to Zadash in passing, since his main base and office were in Rexxentrum, so while he was great at finding his way back to certain places once he had been there, he hadn’t asked Vess where that Inn she spoke so highly of was located.

“Hey there. You look a little lost, need a hand?” The voice pulled his focus away from his own thoughts and towards the source, which turned out to be a blue Tiefling that was giving him a bright smile, and suggestively wriggled her eyebrows at him.

“I am good, thank you.” It was an automatic response, because Caleb instantly recognized the woman’s demeanor. Just a moment ago she had been leaning against the wall of one of the Inns, much like some other women still did, one wearing a shorter dress than the other.

“Are you sure?” She was still smiling, and while she had looked very well dressed at first, with her knee-high socks and green shoulder free dress, Caleb could tell that she had probably been wearing it for a while. The edges had been torn a little and a few threads had come loose, which he would have almost missed due to how much cleavage she was showing as she leaned forward, clearly trying to keep his attention on her.

“For a gold I can take you anywhere you want. I know my way around this city,” She continued, almost as if he hadn’t shot her down twice already. Caleb wasn’t quite sure why he was still talking to her, really. He had often been approached by women in her profession, but never really shown an interest. It would have been easy for him to get some company if he wanted to, and he was aware that certain colleagues of his often did, but it wasn’t really up his alley. Still, there was something about her that was almost compelling. The way she bounced back and forth on her feet, her smile almost bright enough to light up the entire street, and also enough to keep him from leaving right away.

“Well,” He eventually cleared his throat. “If you could point me in the direction of the _Pillow Trove_ , I would be most grateful,” There was recognition in her eyes almost instantly and the grin on her face turned a little wicked.

“For two gold I’ll personally take you there,” She then responded, which caused him to raise an eyebrow.

“Wasn’t it one gold?” Caleb then asked, though the corners of his lips almost curved upwards unintentionally.

“Well yeah, you should have taken me up on that offer. So?” She was still smiling, and he found himself huffing in response.

“I don’t even know your name,” It was a weak attempt at getting out of this situation, even he was aware of that, but somehow, she made it easy to forget about the stressful day he’s had, even if it was only momentarily.

“Hi, I’m Jester!” She nodded, before linking her arm through his, which caught him off guard enough to not even consider protesting as she began walking him down the street. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Caleb Widogast,” It was an automatic response once more, and while he had tensed up a little the moment she had linked her arm through his, the tension now seemed to melt away, because she had settled in next to him with such ease that, for anyone passing by, it seemed like they could have been doing this every night.

“Nice to meet you Caleb. So, the _Pillow Trove_ , huh? That’s a really fancy place. I stayed there for a bit when I came here. The rooms are amazing! And they will literally bring you anything you want if you ask for it.” She kept rambling on, and Caleb would have complained, but it was a nice distraction from the dry conversations he had been engaged in all day, and if he was paying her two gold anyways, then he might as well take advantage of said distraction.

“I’ve never been, but as long as there’s a bed I will be fine.” He eventually spoke, and Jester glanced up at him, almost a look of disbelief in her eyes.

“Are you serious? You could literally have them bring you anything! I mean they would probably fill the bathroom with champagne if you asked them.”

“Why would I do that? I can’t imagine bathing in champagne is very pleasant. It’s cold and probably very sticky.” Now Jester was laughing as she bumped her shoulder into his lightly.

“I was just speaking hypothetically, Caleb.” As they walked the houses around them slowly became nicer and fewer in between, and it wasn’t long until he could see a few guards in the distance, watching what he assumed was the entrance to the Tri-Spire, Zadash’ upper class district. Glancing down at Jester for a moment, Caleb eventually stopped to take his coat off, draping it around her shoulders. “Just in case,” He could have easily paid her the two gold now and sent her on her way, asking the guards for directions to the _Pillow Trove,_ but something compelled him not to, instead he wrapped an arm around her waist to lightly urge her on as they made their way towards the entrance.

Jester went willingly, though Caleb noticed the slight change in her posture as she seemed to attempt to straighten herself, head held high as they walked. The guards both took one look at him, and whether it was his general appearance, or because they knew who he was, let his pass with a nod of their heads.

C.A Corp was one of the biggest companies in Wildemount, if not the biggest, and they dealt their cards in all sorts of different branches, including politics and education, and while they might not have all been known to the general public, they were at least known to most of the people in law enforcements, mainly so they wouldn’t have to deal with being held up on their way to important business.

“Woah, they didn’t even ask for identification,” Jester picked their conversation back up again once they were out of earshot. “Usually they’re really strict about that. Like, last time I was here I had to sneak in through the sewers.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow at her as they rounded the corner into another street. “I wasn’t aware that something that was possible,” He then mused, noticing the large, fancy building that they were now approaching. It was bigger than most of the houses and shops around, and the neon sign that displayed the name _Pillow Trove_ was prominent and yet somehow tasteful.

“Yeah, it’s pretty easy actually,” Jester chuckled. “But they’ve got a bakery here that has the best pastries and there’s also a great book shop that only sells smutty novels.” She was wriggling her eyebrows again as they came to a stop, and Caleb had to admit that it was oddly charming.

“Well. I might have to go for some pastries sometime soon then,” He nodded as he reached for his wallet, but then stopped, his eyes darting between the Inn and Jester for a moment. It was a stupid idea, really, especially since he still had files to go over for tomorrow’s meeting, but the truth was: He had already enjoyed that fifteen-minute walk with her more than the entire day he had spent locked up in conversations with his colleagues. “Would you like to come upstairs?”

There was a moment where their eyes met, and Caleb almost thought that she was going to say no, which was stupid considering she had been the one to approach him In the first place, but the her lips curved into a smile and she looped her arm through his again before nodding. “Of course, that’s more than two gold though,” She then added, and Caleb found himself laughing.

-

He had asked for one of the suites on the upper floor, which wasn’t something he usually did, because a room with a bed, and sometimes a small desk, was enough for him, but when he noticed the way Jester’s eyes lit up as she stepped into the room, Caleb figured it was worth it.

He watched as she kicked off her shoes, instantly jumping onto the large bed, causing half of the pillows to tumble off, before she let herself fall backwards with a chuckle. “This is so nice, Caleb! Do you sleep like this all the time?”

Shaking his head as he took the coat she had simply dropped onto the floor, and hanging it by the door, Caleb eventually stepped into the room, leaving his briefcase on the nearby desk. “Not really, but I figured you’d want something to keep you busy,”

For once it was Jester’s time to raise an eyebrow as she sat up on the bed, eyeing him for a moment. “Aren’t _you_ going to keep me busy?”

The tone in her voice had instantly changed, and Caleb had to admit that it instantly piqued his interest, and yet he managed to push that thought away, shaking his head. “I still have some work to do, but feel free to order some food and watch some tv if you like,”

Jester’s eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, before she continued. “But...you’re still going to pay me, right?”

If he had been the guy to keep the illusion of intimacy up, pretending that they were just casual acquaintances that had met on the street, then it would have shattered right there and then, but luckily Caleb had never been the type to lose himself in illusions and pretend relationships. “Of course.” He then nodded, watching as Jester leaned over to reach for the room service menu, but then chose to bring her attention back towards him for another moment.

“...five gold for an hour. A hundred for the night.” It was excessive, Caleb was very aware of that, but the way she was trying to suppress a squeal, lips curving into that bright smile as he reached for his wallet again, pulling out ten platinum and putting them on the nearby table, was worth it.

-

It was past midnight the next time Caleb surfaced from his thoughts, having gone over the files for tomorrow’s, or well today’s really, meetings. He had expected Jester to be asleep as he stepped into the living area space of the suite, but instead she was on the floor, a bowl of strawberries in front of her, while her eyes were glued onto the screen, where an old black and white movie was playing.

She was giggling at the jokes, and Caleb caught himself staring, before quickly shaking it off. He had no time to get emotionally involved, especially not with someone whom he had paid to be here. “Sounds like you’re having a good time,” he eventually spoke, and it caught Jester’s attention as she turned around, mouth full of strawberry.

“...’s funny,” She then managed with a laugh, swallowing the fruit as she watched him settle down into one of the comfortable chairs nearby. “So. What kind of job do you have that you need to work all through the night? That doesn’t seem very fun,” She then continued as Caleb watched her pick up another strawberry along with a pack of sugar that she opened, emptying its content onto the strawberry, before popping it into her mouth.

“I am the Archmage of Civil Influence at C.A. Corp.” He then responded, “Which means lots of meetings and politics.”

“Sounds fancy,” Jester replied once she had swallowed the strawberry. “But also kinda boring. I wouldn’t want to listen to people talk about politics all day.”

 _Neither do I,_ Caleb thought, but it wasn’t something he had ever really admitted out loud. He had sort of fallen into the position, and once you were in it was rather hard to get out. Astrid and Wulf, his childhood friends and colleagues, might have been the only people who knew that he wasn’t exactly happy with his job. The thing was: Caleb was sure that C.A. Corp could do a lot of good in the Empire, if everyone wasn’t so focused on their own profit.

“Like, you look super tense. Nobody should have to work all day and night without getting a chance to relax.” Caleb watched as Jester reached for the remote, muting the tv, and within a few seconds, the mood in the room had shifted. He noticed the way her lips were curved into something that could almost be described as a smirk, as she leaned forward on her knees, slowly crawling to where he was sitting in the chair. “I could help with that,”  
Caleb had half a mind to protest, but her hands were warm on his thighs, traveling upwards to undo the buttons of his pants and the simple act of being touched enough to make him shiver just a little.

“Is that a yes?” Jester asked, glancing up at him for a moment, an almost mischievous glint in her eyes as Caleb lifted his hips to help her get rid of his pants and underwear, which she pulled down in one swift motion. His cock was already half hard, twitching with interest as Jester leaned in, pressing kisses to the inside of his thighs before working her way upwards.

It wasn’t long until he let his head drop back, a low moan escaping his lips while he reached down to brush the hair from hair face. The image of her lips wrapped around his cock was something Caleb knew his mind would file away for later, whether he wanted it or not, so he decided to embrace it, getting a better view of her face as he shifted, moaning again when she took him in deeper.

“Jester...” It had been way too long until he had taken the time to take care of himself, and even longer until he had someone else do it, so he quickly found himself dangling over the edge, one hand buried in Jester’s hair and the other coming to tap her shoulder as a warning, but she didn’t seem to care. Instead Caleb found that she doubled her effort, the vibrations of her moans spurring him on as he watched her shove a hand beneath her dress, the simple motion being enough to send him over the edge.

It took Caleb a moment to surface from the haze, but when he did Jester was moaning, her hand moving between her legs still as she leaned into his touch against her cheek. He wished that he had the strength to return the favor and do something other than watch, wiping at her lips with his thumb while she got herself off, but he still felt like he floating just a little bit, so he simply watched as Jester moaned again, before sucking his thumb into her mouth, their eyes meeting briefly before she too, tumbled over the edge, breathing heavily.

“You look like you’re about to fall asleep,” She eventually chuckled from between his legs, and Caleb couldn’t help but join in.

“You look like you enjoyed yourself,” He then replied, lips curved into a smile as Jester pulled back to sit on her heels.

“Oh, I did.” She nodded, matching the smile on his face. “In case you couldn’t tell, now unless you want to get backpain from sleeping in that chair, I suggest we get into bed,”

Caleb definitely agreed, and then couldn’t help but laugh again as he briefly wondered whether or not she had just called him old.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Hope you guys enjoy x  
> No smut in this one, but Tusk Love makes an apperance! :P

_He could get a million girls for free_   
_Anyone he wants, but he seems to want me_   
_Look at this, here I am, on the top floor_   
_Everything is first-class, everything is top-drawer_   
_I'm starting to feel like the luckiest girl in the world!_

Caleb was positively sure that it had been the smell of breakfast that had drawn Jester out of the bedroom the next morning. He had almost been sure that she would sleep in, considering how she had still been fast asleep and sprawled out across the bed when he had gotten up to shower. He would have let her sleep in, too, because the room was paid for anyways, but now that she was here in what was very clearly nothing but one of his shirts, Caleb couldn’t help but smile as he watched her over the edge of the newspaper he had been reading.

“Good morning,” He nodded in amusement as she waved at him absent minded, her attention very clearly taken by the many pastries that where presented on the table. Sometimes a gift, sometimes a curse, Caleb never really forgot anything, so he remembered her talking about a wonderful bakery here in the Tri-Spire, and once that thought had entered his mind he had sent someone to retrieve a few of their finest selection to be brought to his room for breakfast. He had already eaten a bear claw, not his usual breakfast he had to admit, but they really were extraordinary, and Caleb’s mood had instantly been lifted.

“Cay-leb! These are the best. Have you tried the ones with cinnamon? That’s how they make them back home,” He watched her eyes light up as she settled down onto the chair opposite of his own, reaching for one of the pastries, and for a moment Caleb half expected her to shove the whole thing into her mouth, but Jester simply took a big bite, causing some of the cinnamon to stick to the corners of her mouth.

It was...endearing, to say the least.

“Where’s home then?” He wasn’t sure if those kinds of questions were allowed, they hadn’t really talked about anything before coming up here, but he assumed that Jester would simply tell him something random if she didn’t want the truth to be revealed. If you paid enough money then these kinds of women, or men, could be anything you wanted them to be, so he wasn’t expecting her to tell him the full truth anyways. The dress she had been wearing last night hadn’t been the typical Empire attire though, and with how different her accent was he had assumed she wasn’t from around here, but before he had been able to go into any details, they had been distracted by other things.

“The Menagerie Coast,” Jester then replied between two bites. “Nicodranas actually. It’s very pretty, and warm. This place here gets pretty cold. Where are you from?”

Putting his newspaper down, Caleb picked up the half empty coffee cup to finish it off. “I’m from the Empire, though a little further north. We’re all based in Rexxentrum though, since that’s where the company’s main base is,” He then explained, glancing at her once more. “There is...something I’d like to propose, if you’re interested,”

Her interest seemed to be piqued by the change of tone in his voice and she sat up a little straighter, cinnamon pastry suspended halfway in between the plate and her mouth as she waited for him to continue.

“I will be in the city for the rest of the week, and...I wouldn’t mind some company, especially since there’ll be a dinner tomorrow night where I will be considerably less bothered by people if I show up with a plus one. I’d be willing to pay whatever your rate is, of course. If that offer seems to be to your liking, then I’m sure we can work something out.”

There was a pause where Caleb almost regretted the offer, but he had spent less than a day with Jester, and she had already proven to be better company than most of the people he came in contact with on a daily basis, and he wasn’t quite willing to let that go.

“The...entire week?” Jester finally managed, her eyes widening a little as she spoke. “As in, me staying here the entire week?”

Caleb nodded, the corners of his lips turning upwards slightly. “Yes. That would be the plan,” He then agreed, placing the empty coffee mug onto the table. “If that works for you, as I said.”

She seemed to consider the offer for a moment, trying to regain composure, before she cleared her throat. “Alright. A thousand gold for the week, and I don’t kiss on the mouth,” The words hung in the air for a moment, until Caleb simply nodded. “Neither do I. A thousand gold it is, then.” Reaching for his wallet he pulled out one of his credit cards, placing it in front of Jester. “And go get yourself a nice dress for tonight. Something...fancy. I’m no expert in that field, but I assume there’s a place here that will provide you with what you need,”

Once again Jester’s eyes went wide as she glanced down at the card, before watching as Caleb rose from his seat, reaching out to brush his thumb over the corner of her mouth in passing.

“Cinnamon,” He then chuckled, before grabbing his coat and briefcase on the way out.

-

Caleb found himself attempting to not tune out as one of his colleagues went on about the same thing for the fifth time now. He’d always figured someone with the position of _Head of Public Relations_ , would have been better at keeping people’s attention, but here they were, all probably half bored to death already. Usually someone else would have said something by now, but Caleb had a feeling that the rest of his colleagues had probably tuned out, too.

Vess was going over some of her notes, and he assumed that she was already miles away in thought, thinking about the next expedition she could go on, funded by C.A Corp, while Oremid was probably either planning a lesson or thinking about curling up with his cats in front of a fireplace, which was something Caleb could understand.

In fact, he was probably the man Caleb got along with best, probably because his position was the one that would have interested him the most. He attended most of the meetings, because they all had to, but other than that he had little to do with the cooperate branch of the company.

_Caleb? Are you still working? When are you coming back?_

The voice caught him by surprise to say the least, but he was familiar with the sending spell, so he managed not to bat an eyelash as he whispered a response.

_“I’m afraid I will be a while, Jester.”_

There was a brief pause as he glanced around, but nobody seemed to have noticed that he wasn’t fully paying attention.

_Oh. Right. Well, I’ll be here._

There was something off about the tone in her voice, and Caleb really shouldn’t be able to tell after knowing her for less than a day, but it hadn’t been the same bubbly response he had gotten this morning, or even a tease about how he was working too much. She seemed like the type to do that, especially after what she had said about his work last night.

Frowning slightly, Caleb grabbed his notebooks and put them into his bag, before getting up, all eyes on him within an instant.

“Where do you think you’re going, Caleb?” Ludinus had raised an eyebrow at him, hand still suspended midair where he was pointing something out on the smartboard.

“I have important business to attend, and you’re about to start us on the 6th round of repetitions. Just do handouts, like everyone else, it saves time and people will be...less inclined to be annoyed.” He then nodded. “Besides: I will be seeing all of you all at tonight’s dinner,” And with that he was out the door, swearing that he saw Vess’ lips curve into a grin.

-

Caleb found Jester on the floor of the living room area, surrounded by books that definitely hadn’t been there before. When she glanced up to meet his eyes, the frown on her face was momentarily turned into a smile, before she seemed to remember what had dampened her mood before.

“That’s...not a dress.” He found himself saying, shrugging off his coat and hanging it by the door, “Unless you’re planning on making one out of... _Tusk Love_?” Catching a glimpse of the cover, Caleb instantly knew what kind of books she had bought, presumably with his credit card. He’d definitely read his fair share of them when he’d been younger, and he remembered her mentioning a smut book shop here in the Tri-Spire, but he hadn’t actually thought he’d end up with half its inventory.

Jester huffed out a laugh in response, but it wasn’t quite in full force as she put down the book she’d been holding. “I wanted to go get one.” She then replied, shrugging her shoulders, “and I found this really great store, but they just...weren’t really nice.”

“How do you mean?” Caleb cocked his head to the side for a moment, watching the way her shoulders had slumped ever so slightly.

Jester was fiddling with the hem of her dress now, and there was another pause, before she glanced back up at him. “I told them that I needed a dress, and they looked at me like I was speaking a different language, and then they said that they probably didn’t have anything that would fit me, and...I think they also kind of implied I stole your card? Which I told them isn’t true, but they were just...giving me weird looks,”

Caleb could tell that she was visibly upset now, reliving the experience which he had thought would be a good one for her, but he had once again not counted on people’s arrogance and entitlement.

“Come on, we’re going back there.” He eventually decided, watching as Jester’s eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

“Caleb, no. It’s fine. I don’t...” She trailed off as he crossed the room, bending down to be at eyelevel with her. 

“Hey, nobody should be treated that way, no matter what they look like or where they come from, alright?” he had reached out, lifting her chin with one finger, trying his best to ignore the way his chest tightened at the tears that were pooling in the corners of her eyes now. “So we’re going back and getting you a nice dress for tonight, because as much as I would love to see Ludinus’ face when you do show up in a dress made out of a smut novel,” He could see the corners of her mouth twitch ever so slightly at that, “I want you to have this,” And maybe he also wanted to see her in a pretty dress, or more so the way her eyes lit up when she wore it, much like they had this morning at the sight of the pastries.

“Okay,” Jester then muttered with a nod, reaching up to wipe at her eyes with the back of her hand before getting to her feet along with him.

“Did you buy the entire store worth of smut novels, by the way?” He then asked, causing a slight giggle to fall from her lips.

“Maybe. I also got more pastries, but I kinda already ate all of them.” She then replied, “I wasn’t going to tell you, but now I feel a little bad that I did.”

Caleb chuckled in response as he picked his coat back up from the hanger by the door. “Don’t. We can always get more,”

-

He had to admit that he enjoyed the way the man’s face behind the counter fell the moment he noticed Jester and him entering. It was clear that he remembered her from earlier, and while Caleb’s face might not have been something that was familiar to him, or many people here in Zadash, the name on his credit card definitely was once it was placed upon the counter.

_C.A Corp_ had a great deal of influence around the Empire, and even beyond, and while Caleb usually refrained from making use of it, he couldn’t quite get the frown on Jester’s face, and the tears in her eyes, out of his head. They had no right to treat her like she didn’t belong, especially not because of how she looked or what her apparent job was.

“We’re planning to spend what I would consider an offensive sum of money here, so we’re going to need all of your attention and your best sales people,” He nodded, turning to see how Jester seemed to slowly be returning to the bubbly woman he had met just last night.

It was odd, that he cared so much about her already, and somewhere in his head the alarm bells were going off, but he had always been good at ignoring those.

“Now, any of those dresses you had your eye set on?” He asked, pulling Jester from her trance like state as she turned to him, lips curved into a wide smile. “Oh Cay-leb, so many!”

They spent the next hour inside the shop, with Caleb sat in one of the chairs, watching as Jester slipped in and out of different dresses of all kinds. They all looked incredibly good on her, and he couldn’t help but chuckle whenever she did an extra twirl so he could appreciate the way the dresses seemed to fit in all the right places.

Setting aside a few items for purchase, Caleb eventually had someone run to the bakery and get them some pastries, laughing as Jester basically threw her arms around him, before settling into his lap, mouth already filled with one of the cinnamon buns. It was wildly different from how he usually spent his time in any city, especially considering the rest of his colleagues might have still been in the meeting he had ditched earlier, but Caleb couldn’t quite bring himself to care.

“Sir, if I may,” The man from behind the counter, whose shop Caleb assumed they were in, eventually bent down just a little, offering a perfect smile. “I think we have something that is just perfect for your occasion. A little more on the pricier end, of course, but nevertheless perfect for your companion,”

“Like I said, money isn’t an issue,” Caleb nodded, watching as Jester glanced between the man and him for a moment, before swallowing around the pastry.

“Caleb...you don’t have to pay that much money for me, you know? I mean...I can use some of my payment...” Waving his hand at her, he shook his head.

“I asked you to attend this dinner for me, so I’m paying for the dress. Besides,” Another smile tugged on the corners of his lips, “It’s not like I’m not getting anything out of it either,” Money really wasn’t an issue in this case. Caleb usually saved most of his salary, because he simply didn’t have anything to use it for other than sending some of it home to his parents. He had grown up with little money, his parents always trying to make ends meet, and even now he usually didn’t spend it on many things other than good food and books. Most of the things he needed for spells, like ink and paper, were provided by the company, which came in handy, since he didn’t have to go looking very far for it, and he had to admit that he enjoyed the way Jester’s face lit up at all the pretty dresses and accessories.

“I’ll be right back then,” She chuckled, hopping off his lap and following the man towards the back of the store. When she emerged a little over ten minutes later, Caleb had focused his attention on his spell book, but that was quickly abandoned when he saw Jester approach.

She was wearing a pink, shoulder free ballgown that was very fitted through the bodice, with a chiffon skirt that flowed out towards the bottom. It genuinely took his breath away for a second.

“What do you think?” She muttered, almost shy all of a sudden as she glanced back at Caleb, who had to shake himself out of his awe.

“It’s perfect,” He nodded, lips curving into a smile as he ignored the way his stomach flipped ever so slightly when Jester’s face lit up once more.

“It’s so flowy!” She exclaimed then, doing a twirl and watching as the dress swirled around her, and for a moment Caleb almost wished that they had met under different circumstances, but that was a dangerous thought, and he’d have to lock it away far, far in the back of his head, especially with how Jester’s lips were still curved into a smile as she gathered the dress, practically skipping back towards the changing rooms, making Caleb’s heart skip along.

-

They ended up buying the dress, and a few simpler once for daily wear, one of which Jester kept on as they left the shop, her arm looping through his as they walked. It was a nice day out, especially for this time of the year, and Caleb had to admit that he was enjoying himself.

“So, this dinner tonight, what’s that about?” He then found himself being pulled from his thoughts, attention shifting towards Jester.

“Well. It’s our annual dinner with the _Cobalt Soul._ I don’t know if you’ve heard of them. They’re one of the biggest organizations when it comes to research and education in the Empire,” He nodded, “and well, let’s just say they don’t always agree with the corporate ways of our company which, to be fair, is something I can understand,” When Caleb had first come to Rexxentrum as a young student, he had admired the Soltryce Academy and its extensive library, a place all people that rose into the higher ranks of the _C.A Corp_ attended at one point or another, but it really was nothing compared to the archives of the _Cobalt Soul._

“If their research is something that could be made available to students all over the Empire, even just to a small extent, then that would be amazing, but alas we’ve been working on that for well...as long as I can remember,”

“Why don’t you just give them money?” Jester asked, glancing up at him as they approached the _Pillow Trove_.

“Oh, we do.” He chuckled as a response. “But...it’s not that easy. It’s why we do this dinner though, to improve relations.” There were many things that needed to change, Caleb had tossed and turned at night, thinking about just how to approach the whole thing, but the truth was: As long as he was the only one on board with the change then not much would happen. Everyone else in the company, especially his colleagues in their leadership positions, were way too comfortable to make a noticeable change.

He did have a pretty good standing within the company, especially since everyone had pretty much hated the man he had followed, but it was still hard to get people to change their ways, even if it meant that the general influence of C.A Corp could be extended towards something bigger, or maybe even beyond the borders of the Empire.

“Well, I’m sure it’ll be great. And if not we should bring some of the pastries,” Jester eventually replied with a nod, “Those can solve a lot of problems,” She was grinning now as she pulled him past the reception and up the stairs, and Caleb couldn’t help but match her grin himself.

“Ja,” He then laughed, “so I’ve seen.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with the smut in this one :P
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading and leaving comments, it means the world x

_You're beautiful_   
_You've got style and grace_   
_There's something about your smile that says you're on your way_   
_And you're beautiful_   
_Anyone can see_   
_If you were meant to be anywhere_   
_This is where you're meant to be_   
_You're beautiful_

For someone whose job title was _Archmage of Civil Influence_ , Caleb really hated these kinds of gatherings. Mainly because most of it was pretending to be friendly, when both sides clearly didn’t get along as well as they should have, or could have, and instead chose to rely on formalities to prolong this somewhat ongoing feud for another year instead of sitting down to resolve things.

He had to admit, however, that things were a little less terrible with Jester by his side. She was the center of attention in her beautiful dress, and Caleb also suspected that people were intrigued to see him attending the dinner with someone. Most people in the company knew that he and Astrid, one of their Scouts, used to date for a while, but after that there hadn’t really been anyone else, especially not in the public eye.

“These look like the kind of people that would come to see my Mama perform,” Jester whispered, pulling him from his thoughts, and Caleb watched as she stole one of the hors-d’oeuvres from a passing waiter.

“Your mother is a performer?” Caleb asked, glancing around the room and taking stock of the attendees he could make out so far.

“Oh yes! You might have heard of her: She’s _The Ruby of the Sea_ ,” Jester’s face lit up again at the mention of her mother, and Caleb couldn’t help but look back at Jester in surprise.

“Your mother is _The Ruby of the Sea_?”

“You’ve heard of her?” She then beamed, before waving a hand through the air. “Of course you have. Pretty much everyone has heard of my Mama, but you know,”

Caleb couldn’t quite keep the chuckle to himself as he stopped one of the passing waiters to order himself a drink. “Well...my Ex works as a Scout for our company, which means she travels a lot to scout out possible partners and locations, and whenever she returned from Nicodranas she told me about the amazing _Ruby of the Sea,_ and I am pretty sure she’s a little bit in love with your mother.”

“Don’t worry, everyone is,” Jester laughed in return, and for a moment there seemed to be a sadness in her eyes, masked by the smile on her face, but before Caleb could so much as blink, it was gone.

“Well, I’m sure she’s wonderful.” He nodded, his eyes traveling across the room once more. “Now, I’m going to have to have a few boring conversations. Can you occupy yourself for a little while?”

“Only if you dance with me later,” Jester quipped, the smile now having become genuine once more.

“I am not a particularly good dancer,” Caleb chuckled, but Jester didn’t seem to let that argument stand.

“Don’t worry, I’ll lead!” She laughed, before reaching to pick up another hors-d’oeuvres from the same passing waiter, causing Caleb to laugh once more as he wandered off.

-

It took him a little under an hour to make the rounds, speaking to all the important people, including Vess and some of the other branch leaders, before he let his eyes wander across the room to find Jester. After a few moments he spotted her over in a corner of the room, pastry in hand and talking animatedly to someone that was quite familiar to Caleb.

“Oh boy...” He muttered to himself, before crossing the room, watching as Jester’s face lit up just a little when she noticed him.

“Caleb! I didn’t think I was going to see you for the rest of the night! How many people did you talk to?” She didn’t even give him time to answer, before continuing, “This is Beau! She works with the Cobalt Soul!”

Caleb’s eyes met with the woman’s that was standing next to Jester, whose lips were turned upwards into a slight grin. “Oh, I am familiar with her. Beauregard,” He gave her a nod, which was returned. “How have you been?”

“Good. Missed seeing you attempt to sneakily gain entrance into my library, it’s been a while.” She teased with a chuckle, causing Caleb to roll his eyes against his better judgement.

“It’s not _your_ library, if I recall correctly. And if you’d just grant me entry to it, I wouldn’t have to attempt to sneak in,”

“Yeah you would, just to see if you could,” Beau laughed, taking a sip of the wine she was holding. “But tell me where you found this wonderful woman, Jester’s been a delight to talk to compared to the rest of these fuckers,” She cast her eyes around the room for a moment, and Caleb, once again against his better judgement, chuckled.

“Agreed, which is why I’m going to keep her occupied now until someone else here gets the urge to talk to her,” He nodded, holding his hand out to Jester, who didn’t hesitate in taking it, waving at Beau with the other one as she was pulled along.

“Oh come on!” The other woman called, and Caleb noticed that she was giving him the finger as he glanced back over her shoulder, while he pulled Jester towards the middle of the room, where a space had been cleared. There weren’t very many people dancing at the moment, because neither the higher rank people of the Cobalt Soul, nor the ones from C.A Corp were prone to dance, but a couple of employees Caleb knew from passing had taken to the dance floor.

“Do you and Beau not get along?” Jester eventually asked, hands coming to rest of Caleb’s shoulder as they began swaying to the music.

“Oh we do, well. Most of the time anyways.” He then replied, “She’s...one of the younger members of the Cobalt Soul, but she’s got a keen mind, if anyone can help end this...feud then it’s her. Don’t tell her I said that though, or I will never hear the end of it,”

Beau was younger than him, but Caleb had watched her rise in the ranks of the Cobalt Soul within the last few years ever since he had been appointed his seat in the company, and he had found that they were pretty similar, which was possibly the reason they clashed as much as they did, but at the same time he was well aware that she was the one he’d have to work with if he’d ever want to convince the entirety of the Cobalt Soul to agree to sharing their knowledge and research.

“Well, she seems nice, I’m sure she’s going to help you,” Jester smiled, glancing up at him for a moment, their eyes meeting. She looked beautiful in her pink gown, with her hair in slight curls falling onto her shoulders, small ribbons and pendants wrapped around her horns and dangling from them.

“We’ll see about that,” Caleb nodded, tearing his eyes away from her to scan the room for a moment. Most of the other people weren’t paying too close attention to them, even though they were definitely sticking out in the dancing crowd that mostly consisted of humans and a few half elves and halflings here and there. Caleb still had the distinct feeling of being watched though, and even though it took him a moment he eventually found the culprit in the form of Ludinus, who was standing in one of the corners, drink in hand, watching the two of them intently.

“You’re not as bad of a dancer as you said you were, you know?” Jester’s voice pulled him from his thoughts eventually and when he glanced back down at her, she was smiling. It was enough to catch Caleb off guard, his heart stumbling just a little as he spun her around.

“Well, I might have had some practice, but it’s been a while. You’re a very good leader though,”

The compliment was enough to tint her cheeks a hint of purple as they continued to move around the floor in a little more earnest now, before eventually going into a full waltz. Caleb hadn’t danced like that in a long time, but he found himself enjoying the whole thing, which might have been entirely due to Jester being the one he was dancing with.

It was almost enough to make him forget that this was paid company, and therefore not real, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t enjoy it. Especially since it was expensive company compared to what he usually spent on enjoyment.

“Well, I’m glad I can make this whole evening a little nicer for you,” Jester then smiled as Caleb spun her around again, her laugh stirring something in his chest once more, but he quickly pushed it down as the song faded out eventually, the both of them coming to a stop.

There was something in her gaze as she looked up at him though, that sent a shiver down his spine, and Caleb pondered for a moment, before asking, “Would you like to get out of here?”

When Jester nodded, her lips curving into another smile, he reached for her hand and pulled her along to a darkened corner of the room. “Alright, hold on.” He then added, waving his free hand in the air for a moment and muttering something under his breath, and before anything else could be said, they were gone, reappearing in the rented suite at the _Pillow Trove_ , Jester’s eyes wide as she clutched onto Caleb’s hand still.

“Woah,” She then muttered, her eyes darting around the room before landing on him. “I knew you could do some cool magic, but that’s amazing Caleb!”

“It’s a very convenient way of transport,” He nodded, shrugging off his coat and placing it across a chair. Under different circumstances he might have opted to stay longer, maybe even have another conversation with Beau, but he wasn’t quite ready to have her ask any more questions about Jester, not when he could be spending time with Jester alone.

There was a pause as he turned to look back at her, finding her leaning against the desk, lips curved into a smile. It was inviting, so he stepped into her space, ignoring the way his heart stumbled once more as he reached up to undo the laces of her bodice slowly.

Jester seemed to get the idea, hands reaching up to undo the buttons of his dress shirt und she could push her hands underneath it, fingers running over his skin, leaving goosebumps behind.

There was an urge to just lean down and kiss her then, but he quickly managed to push that thought aside, instead watching as the dress eventually slipped off her form and onto the ground. Leaning in to trail his lips over her jaw and neck, Caleb enjoyed the moan it drew from Jester as she pushed his shirt off too, before going for his pants.

They had both stepped out of most of their clothes eventually, Caleb’s fingers having skillfully undone the hook of Jester’s bra before he pulled her along to the bedroom. She went willingly, falling backwards and taking him with her, giggling slightly as he landed on top of her.

“Hi,” She then whispered, reaching up to thread her fingers through his hair and Caleb quickly ducked down to let his lips trail over her neck again, before moving down to kiss over her collarbone.

Jester shivered in response, legs falling apart a little as he moved further downwards to settled between them, teeth scraping over skin lightly before he kissed the exact same spot, taking in every little reaction he got from her.

His head was spinning just a little already as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties, pulling them down, lips now pressing kisses to the inside of her thighs. Jester was very vocal, he noticed, gasping and moaning as he turned his attention further upwards, tongue darting out to flick over her clit.

Her hand tightened in his hair and Caleb found himself looking up, his mind automatically filing away Jester’s expressions and the way she arched off the bed. She was beautiful, no one would have disputed that, but there was just something about the way she was slowly coming undone above him that had the heat pooling at the base of his spine.

“God, you’re good at that...” She moaned eventually, tugging on his hair a little harder to pull him up and flip them over, her pupils blown wide as she looked down at him.

“I aim to please,” He chuckled, a moan slipping from his own lips as she reached between them, wrapping a hand around his cock to give it a few strokes. It was already hard from the time he had spent rutting against the sheets with his head buried between her legs, and Jester, of course, noticed, so she lifted herself a little higher, lining him up at her entrance, before sinking down in one swift motion.

Caleb let out a strangled moan at the motion, hands flying to her thighs, fingernails digging into the skin there.

“Jester,” He gasped, but she didn’t give him much time to adjust, instead beginning to move her hips, eyes meeting with his in the dimly lit room. It was hotter than he had imagined, and his mind had definitely wandered while being stuck in that awful meeting all day. There was nothing that could have prepared him for Jester’s enthusiasm though as she sped up the rhythm, matching his thrusts as they moved together, her head thrown back and a moan escaping her lips once more.

Caleb could feel himself dancing dangerous close to the edge already, his head spinning as he willed himself to release the grip on Jester’s thighs, sliding his hand between her legs to rub his thumb against her clit. Another groan fell from her lips, vibrating through her body and it took all of Caleb’s willpower not to come instantly. He was well aware that they had more than enough time to repeat this, but he wanted to watch her fall apart above him.

She wasn’t far off either, he could tell from the constant string of illegible words mixed with his name falling from her lips and the way her thrusts were becoming erratic, so Caleb kept going, only letting his own orgasm take over when he felt Jester shake above him, her hands firmly planted on his chest to stabilize herself as she came, clenching around him so hard it all but catapulted him over the edge.

Afterwards they were both breathing heavily, Jester being the first to come back to herself, leaning down to look at Caleb, their noses almost brushing against each other, and that overwhelming urge to kiss her returned with its full force. He did his best to push it down as far as possible, but still lost himself in her eyes for a moment, not quite able to keep himself from reaching up and pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Hi,” Jester whispered again, lips curving into a smile as she shifted slightly to roll off of him so she could settle in beside him. “Do you think the entire Inn heard that?”

Now Caleb couldn’t help but chuckle, reaching to pull the covers over them for now. “I’d say, at the very least, the entire floor,” He then laughed, causing Jester to giggle, her face buried in one of the pillows as Caleb, once again, did his best to ignore the way his heart missed another beat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not me, making up whatever the hell is going on in 'The Courting of the Crick" xD
> 
> Anyway, I figured everyone reading this could use a pick me up after tonight's episode, so here we go! <3

_Darling, you look beautiful tonight_   
_I can't remember ever seeing anything so right_

_Like a vision in the darkness_   
_A sight for lonely eyes to see_   
_You and I_

_I always want to feel this way_

“Can I ask you something?” He had noticed her stirring beside him a while ago but waited to see whether or not she was going to fall back asleep. Meetings today would start a little later than usual, mainly because those dinners, once the formalities were over, were usually used to drink and escape responsibilities for a night, so neither one of his colleagues would dare set a meeting until they had slept in or cured their hangovers, and in many cases: both.

“Hm?” Jester turned over, blinking her eyes open to look at him, a soft smile tugging on the corners of his lips. The sun had barely risen, casting a warm glow into the room and on them where they lay, still naked and tangled up in the sheets. “Yeah, sure,”

Caleb had reached out to push a strand of hair from her face before he could think better of it, “What brought you to Zadash?” He was well aware that she didn’t have to tell him anything about herself, or could just make up anything she wanted to, but he could feel himself wanting to know more about her, against his better judgement. They got along well though, and they were going to spend the rest of the week together, so this wasn’t just a one-time thing and while he still wasn’t entirely sure why he had asked her to stay when he usually wasn’t someone who even got paid company for one night, Caleb had the distinct feeling that he would eventually find out.

“Well. I lived with my Mama still, and she had this guy that was her client, and he was awful.” Jester eventually began, seemingly making a face at the sheer memory of this guy, “And I decided to pull a prank on him. So I made myself look like my Mama, lured him out onto the balcony while he was pretty much naked, and then locked him out,” A small giggle fell from her lips then, “I mean...it was pretty funny, but he didn’t think so, and my Mama could have gotten in trouble, because he has like...a lot to say in Nicodranas, so I decided to leave so there would be no trouble. I met this guy I traveled with for a bit, but he said he wanted go to the Academy in Rexxentrum, and I didn’t, so I kinda just got stuck around here,”

Caleb had wondered whether or not she had stayed around because she liked the city, but Jester didn’t seem to fit in here. Not necessarily in a bad way, but she came from a coastal town that had warm weather all around, and the sky in Zadash was pretty much a permanent grey mass.

“And I mean...living is kind of expensive? And it’s hard to find work that’s not like...totally exhausting. I tried offering portraits to people, but that was a flop,” She shrugged her shoulders lightly. “And then I figured, you know, if my Mama can do what she does, I could probably too. Turns out people are not willing to pay as much money as they do for the _Ruby of the Sea_ though, unless you actually are the _Ruby of the Sea,_ and I was trying to save up money, but I also needed to make sure I had a place to sleep and looked good, so I never really got to keep most of the money I made,”

Having listened to her, Caleb almost subconsciously reached out to brush a strand of hair from Jester’s face again, and when their eyes met he quickly cleared his throat. “Well, hopefully the money you get this week will help,” He then nodded, and for a moment he caught something in Jester’s eyes, a shift, but he wasn’t quite sure what it meant.

“Yeah, it’s definitely more than I made in like...the entire time I’ve been in Zadash. Way more,”

Caleb didn’t know if her plan was to return to Nicodranas at some point, but having left home at a young age, he knew what it felt like to miss his parents. It was easy for him to go back and visit these days, but back when he had still been just a student, he had often laid awake at night, holding back tears.

“This man’s name...Lord Sharp it was, you said?” He then changed subjects, and found Jester nodding once more.

“Yeah, Lord Robert Sharp. He’s a dick,” She followed him suit, sitting up and yawning as she stretched her arms over her head. “Do you have more meetings today?”

Caleb, momentarily mesmerized by her naked form, illuminated by the faint light that was coming in through the window, nodded. “Yes. Hopefully not as long as they would usually run. I have a feeling most of them would rather stay at home anyway. I was thinking we could go see a play tonight, if you’d like? There’s a couple of theatres in town I’ve heard.”

Jester’s eyes lit up at his suggestion, and Caleb ignored the way it made his heart beat just a little faster.

“Oh that would great!” She then exclaimed, “I can put on one of the other dresses we bought!” She seemed excited already, and the air around them felt a little less heavy than it had before, when they had been talking about her mother.

“I’ll look into it then,” He chuckled, swinging his legs out of bed. “Now, care to join me for a shower?”

-

The first half of the meeting dragged on once more, and Caleb was beginning to wonder why exactly they were doing this time and time again. It wasn’t his job to call meetings, or schedule them, but he was beginning to think that it should have been, because this could have been done in a more efficient way. Most of the members of C.A Corp, or the ones in high places anyways, were pretty paranoid about their positions, or about anything really, so this would really have to be taken for what it was: Checking up on each other, and not in a good way.

Still, he managed to make a call during break, reserving two tickets for a variety show that was currently in town. There were a few things playing that evening but didn’t take Jester for someone who enjoyed a three-hour long drama, and the variety show was fun and light, and maybe it would bring back happy memories of her mother performing, instead of the ones about having to leave her behind.

He had just managed to complete another call, when he noticed Ludinus stepping up next to him, cup of coffee in his hand as he glanced out of the window for a moment, before speaking.

“I didn’t take you for the type to spend all your hard-earned money on whores,” He chuckled, and Caleb felt the sudden urge to choke him. They had been in heated arguments before, even though interactions usually went over pretty civil, but this was getting a little too personal for his taste.

“Don’t call her that,” He then replied, his voice almost dangerously calm as he kept his eyes trained on the opposite building, because he knew that things could potentially get ugly if he actually faced the other man right now.

“Why? It’s what she is though. I don’t blame you though, she’s a pretty little thing. Not someone I would have gone for, because I usually get people delivered to my quarters instead of picking them off the streets,” Caleb could practically imagine the smile on Ludinus’ face without even having to look, and it made his stomach turn. “But I did ask around a little bit and my sources tell me that she’s been with you for a few days. If you felt lonely and were willing to spend the money, then you should have said something and I could have pointed you into the direction of a few high-class professionals, my friend,”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m good,” Caleb eventually replied, his voice still calm, though still hard as he turned to look at the other man briefly. “I think we better get back to the others, I want this meeting to end before sundown,” And with that he had walked off, fists clenched where he had hidden them in his pockets and fighting the urge to turn back and simply punch his colleague in the face.

-

By the time Caleb made it back to the _Pillow Trove_ , his anger had only mildly subsided. He had known Ludinus enough to be aware of just how tasteless he could be when there was no official business to conduct, which was also the reason Caleb usually stayed far away from him, and yet he had found himself upset over just how awful this man really was. No one deserved to be called names, especially not when they were doing their best with what they had to survive.

Jester, for example, was so much more than the profession she had taken on to survive, and Caleb actually felt a cold shiver running down his spine at the thought of her coming across someone like Ludinus for a job instead of him. Not that he generally considered himself a good man, but he liked to think that he was at least, above all, kind.

When he opened the door, stepping into the room, Jester’s voice could be heard echoing through the entire suite. When he finally poked his head inside the bedroom there she was, standing on the bed, only wearing a bathrobe, a book in hand, from which she was loudly reading to the air.

 _“And the fields were glistening with the first frost as she pressed herself closer to his chest, feeling his muscles through his chest as his strong arms enveloped her in a hug,”_ It was one of the books she had purchased yesterday at the smut shop she had been talking to him about, “ _Oh Amalia, everything I’ve done, I did for you, which is why it pains me immensely to leave you, but it’s not safe. I couldn’t possibly focus on the battle ahead if I knew you to be in harm’s way_ ,” She had changed the tone of her voice, and Caleb found himself smiling, watching as Jester turned around, mouth already half open to continue, when she caught sight of him by the door. “Oh, you’re back!” Her lips curved into a smile as she jumped off the bed and made her way towards him, holding up the book she’d been reading. C _ourting of the Crick_ it read on the cover. “There’s some pretty spicy stuff in here, we should totally try out some of it,” She then laughed, “How was your meeting?”

“Boring, as always,” He was quick to say, because while he could still feel a little bit of that anger simmering beneath the surface, it wasn’t something he’d want to bother her with. “though people were less inclined to talk as much after last night, so that was good,” He then continued. “I did get us tickets for a show tonight though,”

Her smile seemed to brighten once more at that, and Caleb, once again, ignored the way it made his chest feel like a little bit warmer.

“Oh, I better get ready then, huh?” The smile stayed in its place as she handed the book over to him, before disappearing into the bathroom. Turning it over in his hand, Caleb couldn’t help but chuckle at the very cliché cover, it was definitely not something he’d usually be reading, but Jester seemed to enjoy it, so he wandered over to one of the chairs, plopping down to read for a little bit.

-

When Jester emerged from the bathroom eventually, he was about halfway through, having remembered why these weren’t the kind of books he usually read. From an outsider standpoint, he got their appeal, and while the story was simple and predictable, he had to admit that the smutty bits were quite enjoyable, and if Jester wanted to try out some of the things in here, then Caleb wasn’t going to complain.

Glancing up from the page he had just finished, he caught sight of her, his heart missing a beat. She was wearing one of the dresses they had brought, a simple cut, purple one that complimented her skin tone and hugged her curves in all the right places.

“What do you think?” She asked, twirling around and offering him a smile, which Caleb promptly returned.

“Perfect for a night out in town, I think.” He then managed to reply, closing the book and putting it onto the table nearby.

“Oh, did you read it?” Jester then found herself grinning, crossing the room onto to settle down in his lap with such ease, as if this was a regular occurrence, something they did all the time. “Did you get to the part where they both ride on the horse together and he slips a hand beneath her dress to touch her?”

Shaking his head, Caleb couldn’t quite hold back a chuckle as he slipped one arm around her to keep her in place as he watched her pick up the book to go through it.

“Oh, you’re right where they cuddle up by the fire to keep warm!” Jester then continued, “That’s going to be interesting!” Another chuckle followed as they sat for a moment, before Caleb found himself checking his watch.

“We should probably get going,” He then suggested, “Wouldn’t want to be late for the show,” Even though he had to admit that he was comfortable, and if he hadn’t promised her an evening out, Caleb would have gladly stayed right there, with Jester in his lap.

“Right, we can come back to this later!” She grinned, before putting the book down and climbing off of him, fingers intertwining with Caleb’s as she pulled him along towards the door.

-

The show was on the better end of things he had seen in his lifetime. There was a bit of everything: singing, dancing and while some of the comedy didn’t quite fit with his kind of humor, Caleb was enjoying himself. Jester seemed to be in her element though, laughing and every so often tapping frantically at his shoulder when she wanted to point something out, or watching in awe at the performance, and suddenly Caleb could imagine a younger Jester, sitting at one of the tables in the Lavish Chateau, watching her mother perform on stage.

He found himself mesmerized by her, just watching the way she reacted to everything, her smile whenever she caught his eyes being enough to stop his heart for just a second. He wasn’t stupid, he was well aware that he was treading dangerous territory, and yet he seemed to be unable to turn away, or possibly end this agreement before their time was up. Jester seemed to have awakened something inside of him, and for the first time in what felt like years he actually enjoyed not just going out, but also thinking about how to possibly further his plans of working with the _Cobalt Soul_ to benefit the students at the Academy, and how to change the structure of the company that he had so unwillingly fallen into.

The applause pulled him from his thoughts, and he watched as all performers return to the stage to take their bows, with Jester jumping up from her seat, followed by a few others, as they clapped and asked for an encore.

Caleb was still smiling by the time they stepped out into the cool night air, Jester’s arm looped through his. He could have teleported them back to the _Pillow Trove_ , but the walk wasn’t too far, and Jester didn’t seem to mind.

“That was such a beautiful song!” She exclaimed as they walked, with Jester waving one hand in the hair animatedly. “And did you see those lights dancing around her? Those were beautiful, it really made the whole performance perfect!”  
It was a simple spell, one of the first ones Caleb had learned actually, and later given it his own spin, and yet the fact that it had Jester so mesmerized made him smile. “It did create a unique atmosphere,” He then agreed as they rounded a corner, the _Pillow Trove_ coming in sight. It would only be two more days until he’d return to Rexxentrum, and Jester...well he wasn’t sure what Jester was planning now that she was back on her feet, with enough money to comfortably stay in a good Inn or travel some more. Still, Caleb had been thinking about asking her to come along. It had only been a couple of days, but he found that he enjoyed having someone to come home to.

 _It’s not real,_ A voice in the back of his mind reminded him, and it sounded very similar to Astrid. She had always been the voice of reason, before, during and even after they had called it quits, and yet Caleb was inclined not to listen, even though he knew very well that she was right, and what exactly she’d say if she was aware of what he was doing.

Pushing that thought aside he opened the door for Jester, leading her into the foyer of the Inn and past the reception, but not without ordering some strawberries on their way up.

Once they had settled back into the room, with Caleb hanging their coats up by the door, he watched as Jester instantly slipped out of her dress and grabbed _The Courting of the Crick_ from the table, before crawling under the covers.

“Will you read it to me?” Her lips were curved into a smile as she waited for an answer, and even if he had wanted to, Caleb couldn’t have said no. Stepping out of his own clothes he joined her in the bed, chuckling as he took the book, opening it on the page he had last left off.

He quickly waved his hands in the air then, muttering a few words under his breath, and suddenly globules of light appeared, not unlike the ones they had seen at the show, floating around them.

Jester gasped, fascinated for a moment, before she turned her attention back to Caleb. “I should have known you can do that,” She then pointed out with a laugh, which he matched, before tearing his eyes away from Jester, and focusing back on the book.

“ _The sun was slowly setting on the horizon, what little light and warmth that came from the sun easily extinguished as they set up camp near the side of a large rock, in hopes of it providing some cover against the wind...”_ He went on for a little while, the whole thing considerably less strange than he would have thought, occasionally glancing at Jester, who seemed to be completely enthralled by the story, even though she had clearly read it before. “ _She had long thought that things between them had shifted. It was more than just his hands between her legs, catapulting her into flights of ecstasy and pulling her back down to earth_. _She could feel her heart beating rapidly inside her chest as their eyes met, and taking all the courage she could find, she scooted closer to him, hands slipping beneath his shirt and feeling goosebumps break out on his skin...”_ There was a joke to be made about cold hands being slipped under shirts, something he felt Jester would absolutely do, but the mood in the room had suddenly shifted. Trailing off, Caleb found himself looking at her, watching as she reached for the book, taking it from his hands, and then shuffling closer. Before Caleb could even so much as utter a word though, Jester had already slipped into his lap, and then she was kissing him.

The alarm bells in his head were drowned out by the rapid beating of his heart and the feeling of complete and utter joy that enveloped him as he pulled her close, one hand sliding into her hair while the other rested at her hips.

There were many things on the tip of his tongue, but that was where they would stay, at least for tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voila, the next chapter! Thank you to everyone who's been reading leaving comments <3
> 
> For this chapter, there's a **trigger warning for implied sexual assault**. It's nothing graphic or detailed, and it's more implied than anything else ( If you've seen the movie then you know what this is about ) but it's a warning nonetheless!

_ What have I become? I'm really not this girl  
Is that all there is, what's it gonna take  
To get off the streets? When do I get a break? _   
_It's not what I wanted, this is not my world_   
_ I know where I'd choose to go, if I could disappear  
Anywhere but here _

By the time Caleb woke up the next morning, Jester was still fast asleep, face half buried in the pillows and snoring lightly. He briefly considered waking her, but it was still early, and he’d be stuck in meetings all day, so he might as well let her sleep in. With one last glance, and his lips curved into a smile, he got out of bed and showered, before getting dressed and ordering some breakfast for her to be brought up around ten thirty, including all of her favorite pastries, and some strawberries for good measure.

With a coffee to go in hand he opted to walk to work this morning, since the sun had decided to show itself for a little while, and when Caleb scrolled through his phone, he was greeted by a series of texts from Eadwulf. He had found that phones were quite useful to stay up to date with what was going on across the continent, and in the world really, and while he enjoyed a good Sending spell, which was a relict having stayed around from older times, he knew it could sometimes be annoying to be limited to twenty five words.

“I have prepared some handouts for you to read through, since going into details about my excavations and its findings, or planned findings, would take up too much of your time,” Vess’ eyes met with his across the table, and he almost caught the hint of a smile there, which he returned. Caleb knew he’d been the one to suggest cutting these meetings short, or making better use of their time anyways, but this was the one subject he was actually interested in, and if he didn’t have as many responsibilities here in the Empire, Caleb would have loved to come along onto one of her expeditions. The question, of course, was whether or not she would have let him, though Vess was one of the few people he actually got along with fairly well. She sometimes invited him and Oremid for tea, and if anyone was down for restructuring _C.A Corp_ , as long as she still got to work on her excavations, then it was Vess de Rogna.

Caleb listened to her detailed plan of her next voyage, which would take her out of commission within the Empire for at least a month, while simultaneously flipping through the folder she had given to each other them, and surprisingly enough time passed rather quickly.

By the time lunch rolled around they all decided to keep it fairly quick, so they would be able to finish faster, and while Caleb would have loved to pop back to the Inn to check on Jester, he figured he wouldn’t want to leave again, so instead he picked himself up a sandwich and went through the file that had had been delivered to him just a couple of minutes go.

**To: Wulf, 11.43am**

_Got your delivery. Thank you. I owe you. x_

**To: Caleb, 11.45am**

_No biggie. Buy me an ale next time I’m back in town. ;)_

**To: Wulf, 11.46am**

_You can literally conjure a bottle of anything you want from a pocket dimension. :P_

**To: Caleb, 11.47am**

_Yeah, but where’s the fun that? :P Also this dude? He’s nasty. I am not above kicking his ass if you need me to!_

**To: Wulf: 11.49am**

_I’ll get back to you on that, thank you!_

Putting the phone down, with his lips curved into a slight grin, Caleb finished off the sandwich and poured himself another coffee, before returning to the conference room, where he was joined by his colleagues, who all started pouring in one after the other. Everyone except for Ludinus, whose seat stayed empty once everyone else had settled down.

“He seems to have urgent business to attend to,” Vess eventually spoke as she caught his eyes, “Though that can really mean anything from actual business to having booked himself a massage he doesn’t want to miss. I think he’s still annoyed you walked out on his presentation,” She chuckled, and it was clear that, after Trent had passed away, the position of least liked employee had gone over to Ludinus, no questions asked.

The rest of Vess’ presentation was done within the hour, and there was only one more member who’d be presenting their plan for the year ahead today, and Caleb really couldn’t wait to go back to where Jester was probably sprawled out on the bed, reading another one of the books she had purchased. He let his mind wander for a moment, imagining Jester’s tongue darting out and licking her lips, one hand slowly pushing beneath her robe to slip between her legs as her eyes continued to roam over the page and...the buzzing of his phone pulled Caleb from his thoughts, and he almost turned the call away, until he caught sight of the name that was flashing up on the screen.

_Beauregard Lionett._

It was unusual enough for her to contact him, even though they did occasionally meet whenever she was at the archive in Rexxentrum, but even then, their communication was usually limited to texting. In fact, Caleb couldn’t even remember the last time she had called him.

“Excuse me,” He gave his colleagues a nod before stepping outside of the conference room, taking the call.

“Beauregard, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He was only slightly teasing, but the moment she spoke he could tell that something was off. It was the slight shift in her tone, like she was weary of something, or someone.

“I’m afraid it’s no pleasure, man.” She then spoke, “Look...I’m just calling because my gut is never wrong about anything, and I know you and your lot are supposed to be in boring ass meetings all day,”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Caleb returned, one eyebrow raised as he watched the presentation go on inside the room through the glass double doors.

“I was running some errands and stuff, in the Tri-Spires, and that super slimy dude you work with? I saw him slinking about. I don’t know Caleb, that guy gives me the creeps. Anyway, I don’t know what he’s up to, but since I figured you weren’t at the Inn I’d give you a call to let you know that he’s sneaking about for no apparent reason.”

Caleb instantly knew who she was talking about, and while there were about a dozen plausible reasons for Ludinus to be biding his time in the Tri-Spire, even when he was supposed to be in a meeting, he could feel his stomach twisting ever so slightly.

“Thank you for letting me know,” he eventually managed, “I’ll look into it,”

“Alright man. Like I said, that man gives me the creeps,” Beau repeated, and Caleb found himself subconsciously nodding.

_Me too,_ he thought as he ended the call, turning back to look at his colleagues once more. All of them had business that they didn’t want the others to poke their noses into, and yet Ludinus was an entirely different level of shady.

Caleb had half a mind to simply get back to the conference room, telling himself that he was probably overreacting, when Jester’s voice rang in his head all of a sudden.

_Caleb, I need y-_

The message cut off halfway through, and for a moment he wondered if Jester had gotten distracted, and simply forgotten to finish it, or if the spell had faded for some reason, but something didn’t seem quite right.

The conversation he’s had with Ludinus just yesterday flashed before his eyes then, and that combined with the cut off message and Beau’s call had Caleb’s stomach twisting all of a sudden.

He once again attempted to tell himself that he was overreacting, but before he could even finish that thought he had already waved his hand in the air and muttered a few words, before he vanished, only to reappear inside his suite at the _Pillow Trove._

He needed a moment to assess the whole situation, but the moment he turned and saw Jester on the couch, her whole body seemingly locked in place and unmoving, with Ludinus on top of her, one hand tangled in her hair while the other came dangerously close to undoing the belt of her robe, he knew something was wrong.

Jester’s eyes were wide with terror as she stared up at the man, and Caleb felt anger flare up inside of him to a point where he didn’t even think about what he was doing anymore. He relied completely on instinct as he extended his hand, muttering a few words, and with the element of surprise, was able to lift Ludinus up into the air, before throwing him across the room where he hit the wall, before slumping down.

Caleb instantly fought the urge to get to Jester, but he knew this wasn’t over, and if he didn’t put a stop to Ludinus’ actions then this would turn into a full-blown fight that had the potential to blow up the entire Inn.

Waving his hands once more he cast another spell and to his relief he watched as the other man’s body locked in place, head barely lifted to look at him, eyes filled with something that could only be described as _rage._ Not that Caleb cared very much. Making his way over to grab the other man by the throat, he pushed him against the wall, moving into his space. He wasn’t exactly a strong person, but neither was the other man, so they were even in that department, and it almost gave him cruel satisfaction to see the rage turn into panic as he tightened his grip.

“This will have consequences.” He spoke, his voice calmer than it should have been, “I want you to leave. And I don’t want to see you again for the rest of the week, if I do you can be sure that your body will never be found. I’m sure Vess wouldn’t mind dropping it into the Lava River up in Eisecross.” He then continued, “Now, I’m going to release the spell, and if I so much as catch you making another move...” Caleb waved his free hand and the other man’s body became almost limp in his grasp before he straightened himself, clearing his throat.

“You aren’t too different from your teacher, you know?” He then replied, before he too, waved his hand in the air and spoke a few words, and within seconds, had vanished from the room.

Taking a deep breath to somehow keep his anger at bay, Caleb’s attention was drawn back to Jester by a sob that was escaping her lips. He whirled around, quickly closing the distance between the two of them, his arms coming to wrap around her. She was shaking, hands curled into the fabric of the robe that had almost come undone.

“H-He...he said he had a message f-from you...and then when he was i-inside...” Her voice was shaky too, the occasional sob interrupting her as she tried to recount the events of the past few minutes. “H-He said he...he would p-pay me double...double the amount you did and when I said...n-no...”

“Jester, I’m so sorry.” Caleb could feel his own voice breaking as he tried to pull her closer, her face buried against his neck. “He had no right to come in here or treat you the way he did, and I will make sure that he suffers the consequences of his actions,” He could still feel the rage inside of his chest, but pushed it down in favor of not agitating Jester any further.

“I...I should...” She pulled away eventually, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robe, avoiding his gaze. “I should...go. You can k-keep the rest of the money for the...the days that I didn’t s-stay...”

“Jester, no.” The rage began mixing with a sudden pain that instantly turned into what could only be described as emptiness. This whole thing had been stupid, and Caleb had known that. He had let himself be pulled in by her warmth and bubbliness, which had made his usually dull workday much more bearable, but the circumstances under which they had met should have been a red flag to begin with. He still would have never judged her, especially now, knowing what he knew about how she had come to work in her profession, but he should have expected that this would end in disaster. He should have let her go after that one night, or at the very least at the first signs of things going deeper than just the physical attraction they both clearly felt. She made his heart beat faster when she really shouldn’t, and he had known that it was wrong.

And yet...

“Jester,” The tone in his voice had changed, and as much as Caleb hated it, he could feel his walls going up while his mind was set on auto pilot. “I will send you home,”

Glancing up at him with tear filled eyes, the surprise was evident on her face. “I...I can’t go home...” She muttered but found Caleb nodding.

“Yes, you can.” Everything in his body resisted the urge to let go of her, but he did it anyway, moving towards the desk and retrieving a folder, which he eventually held out to her. “I had one of my friends look into Lord Sharp. Turns out he has a few skeletons in his closet, and they’re all in here. He should...know better than to cause any problems or bother you and your mother after he has been made aware of what people could find out about him. If he does, however, showing him that you are the one in charge of what people will know, should do the trick,”

Jester’s fingers were shaking as she reached for it, watching as Caleb also pulled an envelope from his coat, which she assumed was the money they had agreed upon. Tears were still pooling in the corners of her eyes as Jester eventually took that, too, before looking back at him. “Caleb I’m...I’m sorry,” Her voice was quiet, and she could feel more tears coming as she watched him shake his head.

“No. I’m sorry. I knew what he was capable off and I still brought you onto his radar. I should have known better.” As much as Caleb wanted to wrap his arms around her again to comfort her, he knew better about that, too. She had no reason to still want to be close to him, she had made it clear, and the last thing he wanted was for her to blame herself. “I’ll give you some time to collect your things, and once you’re done, I’ll send you home.”

Resisting the urge to touch her once more, Caleb let his mind be taken over by autopilot as he settled down onto the floor, pulling out some chalk to begin drawing a teleportation circle. He’d have to send Yussa a message too, telling him that someone would be coming through. It was one of the few places in Nicodranas he knew and had a circle to transport to. Usually he would have just taken Jester, but he had a feeling that personally taking her wasn’t something she would want, and he also wasn’t sure if he could let go that easily if he was actually there with her.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been staring at the almost finished runes on the floor, having already sent a brief message to his friend, when he heard Jester clear her throat, causing him to look up. She was dressed in one of the simple dresses they had bought just a couple of days ago, with her pink bag slung over her shoulder, the tears on her cheeks not having fully dried yet. “I’m ready,” It didn’t sound as convincing as he would have liked it to be, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had shut off his emotions, trapped them in a room deep in the back of his mind, where they couldn’t hurt anyone anymore.

“Once I finish this, the runes will begin to glow and you can step inside,” Caleb explained, “you’ll end up coming out of a circle just like this, only in Nicodranas. It belongs to a friend of mine, his name is Yussa, he lives in a tower relatively close to the central district of Nicodranas. I rarely leave his tower when I come to visit, but I assume it’s not terribly far from your home and should you have any trouble I am sure he will point you in the right direction. The circle only lasts for a few seconds though, so you’ll have to be quick. Understood?”

Jester nodded in response, before speaking up once more, “Caleb...I...” The rest of the sentence got lost though, because he quickly finished the rune, which caused the circle to light up. Whatever it was she had to say, Caleb was aware that it would only make it harder for him to let her go, but the moment she was gone he’d be able to at least pretend that he could. There were a couple of things he had to deal with, first and foremost Ludinus, and with Jester on his mind it would be hard, because the very thought of him touching her, the imagine of her terrified face beneath him, instantly ignited a spark of anger within him that was hard to extinguish, especially since there was a part of him that didn’t want to calm down. If it hadn’t been for Jester still on the couch, he wouldn’t have simply sent Ludinus away, and while he was dimly aware that his conscious was slipping into dark territory, he couldn’t quite turn off the thoughts that were swirling in his head.

Caleb caught a brief glimpse of her as she stumbled into the circle then, looking back at him over her shoulder, before she was gone, the runes on the floor having burned away in an instant.

“Goodbye, Jester.” He only allowed himself a short moment to stop and feel the pain that was clenching his chest tightly enough to for him to almost double over, before he stood up, smoothing out his clothes, and then turned to head for the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's the last chapter! This really was so much fun to write, and it's easily one of my favorite things I've ever written! So thank you to everyone for their encouraging words, kudos, comments and keysmashing! You guys are the best! x

_I was lost like a ship at sea_   
_No hope, no faith, no plan_   
_You fill my cup and you lift me up_   
_So I can be a better man_

Ludinus didn’t show up for work the next morning and hadn’t to the emergency meeting Caleb had called in the same evening Jester had left for Nicodranas either, which didn’t come as a surprise. Much like nobody was surprised by the man’s actions, and each of the other Archmages seemed to be eager to contribute something to what would eventually become his downfall, with Vess being front row center. They had always worked closely together, against their own will really, and she seemed glad to finally be able to bring anything and everything she had collected against him onto the table.

They all had their own agendas, and were willing to turn a blind eye to certain things other members of _C.A Corp_ were doing under the table, like Vess taking some of the artifacts for herself to work on them and not taking note of that, because it wasn’t worth the hassle bringing it up and risking the paperwork, but sexual assault, especially while using spells that had been taught at the _Soltryce Academy_ , a very highly regarded and closely linked to _C.A Corp_ , school, wasn’t something that could just be swept under the rug.

“Don’t worry, if he’s really on the run, we’ll find that bastard,” Vess’ hand rested on his shoulder for a moment, and Caleb found that this was the first time he had ever heard her use a curse word.

“He’ll be clutching onto that amulet like his life depends on it,” He then replied, eyes briefly lowering to his own chest, where the same amulet was hidden beneath his clothes. It was an...insurance, given to all Archmages once they settled into their new position, because while they were generally regarded highly in the Empire, that wasn’t always the same across the continent. Still, they had other means of locating Ludinus, and Caleb would get to that once he had returned to Rexxentrum.

Going back to collect the few things he had brought along for this trip; he was nearly done when he heard a knock on the door. For a split second his mind instantly went to Jester, and then he immediately scolded himself. She was home in Nicodranas, and there was absolutely no reason for her to come back here. He briefly considered just ignoring whoever was outside, but when the second knock went unanswered, he heard a familiar voice calling out.

“I know you’re in there, Caleb! Don’t make me kick down the door!” 

Knowing that she was quite serious, Caleb eventually abandoned his efforts to pack and headed towards the door, Beau’s face appearing, one of her hands still raised to knock.

“Listen, I always knew that motherfucker was shady, but this is a whole new level of being an asshole,” She didn’t even wait for him to invite her in, but instead pushed right past him and into the room.

Caleb wasn’t surprised that the Cobalt Soul had heard about what had happened, especially with an official investigation being launched, or at least official within _C.A Corp_. Much like them, the Cobalt Soul had people in places that might not have been as obvious at first glance, and while they usually kept quiet about things it didn’t mean that they didn’t know. They usually just chose not to interfere.

Closing the door, Caleb turned to watch her pace across the room for a moment. “We’re all a little shady,” he then replied, shaking his head. “But...you’re right. There was always something off about him, I should have known, if you hadn’t called me...”

“Hey, this isn’t your fault.” They didn’t agree on a lot of things, but when it came down to things Caleb thought that maybe, Beau was the one person he could be honest with. They often clashed, but that was because they were more alike than they would have liked to admit sometimes. “We always agreed that guy was an asshole, and I know we tend to assume the worst in people, but this guy really upped his game in regard to what that means,” She shook her head, leaning against the nearest wall. “How’s Jester?”

Caleb felt his chest tighten instantly, swallowing around the lump in his throat. “I sent her home.”

“You did what?” Beau’s demeanor instantly changed, and he swore that her expression softened just a little. “Caleb, why?”

“Was I supposed to just leave her here? She wanted to go home, Beauregard, so I sent her home.”

“Caleb,” A sigh, followed by her crossing the room to close the distance between them. “I haven’t seen you look at someone the way you look at her in a long time, and with how she looks at you in return...you know I’m not the romantic type but fuck me if that’s not love,”

He had tried to push that thought far away, locking it behind a door in the back of his mind, because there was no use pursuing a feeling that was as useless as this, especially with Jester gone now, and yet Beau had managed to kick that door wide open.

“It doesn’t matter. She’s gone now, probably trying to forget she ever met me,” He knew he was dangerously close to drowning himself in self-pity, and he absolutely hated himself for it, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.

“You’re an idiot,” Beau had reached out, flicking his forehead with her fingers, before shaking her head. “Stop being an idiot and go after her for Ioun’s sake!”

“Ow.” He complained weakly as a response, arms crossed in front of his chest in what he knew was a defensive gesture. “I have things to do, Beauregard. This investigation has just launched, and we have to find Ludinus, wherever he is hiding...”

Waving her hand in front of his face, she managed to shut him up pretty quickly. “Fine. Go ruin your chances at a happy ending, but I’m not going to stand by and watch you wallow in self pity like last time you broke up with someone, so either get your shit together or don’t, but don’t come crying to me again. I have very important work to do, too.” They both knew she wasn’t being serious, but it was a game they both knew how to play very well, because they were both bad at talking about their feelings.

“Anyway, let me know if you hear anything,” Caleb nodded in response, watching as Beau tried very hard to resist the urge to roll her eyes, before failing miserably and then pushing past him and out of the room.

He had half a mind to ask her to stay for a drink, despite their argument, and Caleb knew she would have said yes, but they both had things to do, and the faster he returned to Rexxentrum, the better. So he gathered the rest of his things, almost ready to leave, when he caught sight of something that had been left on the table by the bedroom door. Stepping closer, Caleb felt his heart drop just a little as he was greeted by the familiar cover of _The Courting Of The Crick_. He hadn’t noticed Jester leaving it behind, but then again, she had probably already finished it twice.

He would have left it there, his mind working to push away the memory of them in bed, reading, with Jester gingerly pulling the book from his hands eventually, only to climb into his lap, her hands warm against the sides of his face as she kissed him, but his curiosity was piqued by something sticking out from it. Reaching to open the book, Caleb found the white envelope he had handed to Jester earlier, and without even having to count he knew that the entirety of the money he had paid her for their week together was still in there, and on the page that only had the book’s name written on it, Caleb found something scribbled down in what he could only assume was Jester’s hand writing.

_Dear Caleb,_

_Thank you for making me feel special!_

_All my love,_

_Jester._

He could feel his knees buckling just a little under him as he gripped tightly onto the edge of the table to keep himself from falling over. There was a voice in the back of his head, telling him not to read too much into this, but Caleb knew it well enough to be aware that this was his mind trying to sabotage itself. It had happened countless times before, where he had convinced himself that he was better off doing this or that, or better off without someone, and yet Jester’s laugh seemed to echo above it all, the warm touch of her fingertips dancing across his skin almost like a lifeline that kept him afloat.

Reaching for the book, he used his free hand to wave it in the air in front of him, while muttering a few words under his breath, and within seconds he was gone from the suite at the _Pillow Trove_ , reappearing in a familiar living room, the begrudging voice of his friend Yussa, greeting him.  
“You are lucky that my protection spells are designed to exclude you,” Caleb didn’t need to turn around to see that the other man had an eyebrow raised. “You’re looking for the _Lavish Chateau,_ right up the main road towards the left, hard to miss,” He then continued, “Do come by, invited however, some time. I have a few things about that _Heirloom Sphere_ I want to run by you,”

When he turned, Caleb caught sight of Yussa in one of the chairs, teacup in hand and, as he had assumed, one eyebrow raised. “And do tell Lady de Rogna I send my greetings,”

Caleb could feel the corners of his lips turning upwards slightly as he nodded. “I will, and I can tell you that she sends greetings in return,” A pause, “And...thank you,”

Yussa mirrored the nod for a moment, before waving his hand and Caleb watched as the door on the other end of the room slowly swung open, giving him the possibility of stepping out into the warm Nicodranas air.

The marketplace was busy with people trying to sell their goods and others buying them as Caleb made his way through, his chest tightening with every step. This was crazy, right? He had simply overreacted to her message and she had probably already forgotten about him.

“Stop it...” Deep down Caleb was aware that he was self-sabotaging again, and he could almost hear Beau’s voice in his head, scolding him, as he made his way up the main road.

He remembered seeing pictures of the Lavish Chateau, but the actual building was even more impressive in its size and decorated façade, and Caleb could understand why people were drawn to it, excellent performer put aside.

Making his way up the stairs, he pulled out one of his business cards to hand to the door man and was allowed to pass through without any further questions. _C.A Corp_ might have been an Empire-based company, but their influence extended across the continent, which came in handy every now and then.

He could feel his heart beating faster in his chest as he made his way into the main foyer then, the book still in his hand. There was a bar area to the left, along with a stage, which was empty at this point. It was still rather early in the day, and people were having breakfast while a small band played in the corner.

Caleb had half a mind to just turn around and leave again, because he wasn’t even sure what to say or how to start, but the moment his eyes fell upon the grand staircase that lead to the upper floors, he stopped in his tracks, any kind of decision he could have been making being taken from him, because right there, in the middle of the staircase, stood Jester.

She was wearing the pink summer dress he had bought her and Caleb distinctively remembered the way her face had lit up the moment she had seen it at the store, and he had known that he’d be buying it before she had even tried it on.

It looked wonderful on her, hugging her curves just right and bringing out the freckles on her nose that were only really visible when you got close enough. She seemed to have frozen in place now that she had spotted him in the middle of the room, and Caleb really wished that he would have prepared himself better.

“Jester, I am...” he took a step towards the foot of the stairs, not quite able to even finish that sentence, when he watched her nearly stumble down the rest of the staircase, skipping a step or two in the process, before launching herself into his arms.

“Caleb!” He caught her, dropping the book in the process, as she very nearly knocked the air out of his lungs, causing him to laugh, even though it had been about the last thing on his mind just a moment ago. “I thought you weren’t going to come anymore...” He found himself burying his face in her hair for a moment, just taking in the familiar scent and warmth as she held on to him while they both found their balance again.

“I’m sorry I was...” He muttered, but trailed off, the train of thought lost as she pulled back to look at him, eyes filled with tears and lips curved into a smile.

“...being stupid?” Jester then offered, causing Caleb to laugh.

“That, ja.” He then nodded, reaching up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, still not quite convinced that this was all real, and that it was supposed to be this easy.

“No. I get it. I’m sorry too. I just...I freaked out and when you told me that I could actually go home that was all I cared about for a moment, until I got here and I was missing you,” Leaning into his touch, Jester bit her lip with a sigh, “And I wasn’t sure if you found the book, or if you cared enough...”

Caleb watched as a few of the tears fell from Jester’s eyes and he wiped them away, shaking his head. “ _Es tut mir leid_. I was...angry. Not at you, of course not, but...I had a few things to take care of and I...had spent the better part of last week trying to convince myself that I wasn’t falling in love with you, but I failed miserably. Both at trying to convince myself and not actually falling for you.” He then continued, “I haven’t...felt this way in a long time and I guess...I forgot how to let myself be happy.”

Beau had been right, though Caleb would never actually admit that out loud. Astrid and he had called it quits just weeks after he had been appointed as the new Archmage of Civil Influence, and it had been a miserable time. They were on good terms now, but Caleb had spent most of his time cooped up in his tower, pretending to catch up on files and books while he slowly retreated into himself. It almost seemed like he had forgotten how to enjoy himself, and if it hadn’t been for Beau showing up at his tower occasionally, dragging him out to have a drink, he might have never gotten out again. It was how they had gotten started talking about _C.A Corp_ and the Cobalt Soul working together, too, but most of those conversations had been held in a drunken state, and so nothing had ever really come of it.

They would have to change that, though, but Caleb figured that they could take this one day at a time, especially with the warrant for Ludinus out there and his now open position in the company. If there ever was a time for change, he figured, it was now, and if he was lucky enough to have both Beau and Jester at his side throughout it, then he really couldn’t complain.

“Maybe I could help with that.” Jester pulled him from his thoughts then, “The being happy part, I mean. I’ve been said to have a pretty good track record with making people laugh,” She reached up then, hands coming to rest on both sides of his face as their eyes met once more, and Caleb briefly wondered how he had gotten so lucky. The chances of running into her that night had been close to zero. He could have teleported back to Rexxentrum or completely ignored her advances, or simply paid her the two gold he had promised her for showing him the way before letting her go, but through some stroke of luck they had been in the right place at the right time, making decisions that had ultimately lead them here, to the foot of a grand staircase, surrounded by people who were probably just trying to finish their breakfast in peace. It was very on brand for them, really.

“So I’ve heard,” Caleb barely managed to get the words in before he was pulled in for a kiss that sent his head spinning as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He could feel a warmth pouring from his chest and spreading through the rest of his body as he lifted her off her feet then, spinning her around as her laugh filled the foyer of the Lavish Chateau, and Caleb instantly knew that he’d want to spend the rest of his life chasing that laugh.

_I was livin' life day by day_   
_Doing anything to survive_   
_You give me strength and confidence_   
_You make me feel alive_


End file.
